1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a stop-down device in a bellows device mounted between a camera body and a picture-taking lens, which stop-down device is operable so as to stop down the aperture of the lens by engaging the diaphragm blade operating mechanism of the picture-taking lens.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a bellows device provided with a stop-down device engaging the diaphragm operating mechanism to stop down the aperture of the picture-taking lens and thereby effect metering for determining the exposure, the stop-down device has heretofore been operated by an operating lever provided on one side surface of the lens mount.
However, if the operating lever is so provided only on one side surface (one of the left and right side surfaces) of the lens mount, there occurs the following inconvenience.
Generally, where contact photography is to be effected by the use of a bellows device, the picture-taking lens is usually used due to the performance of the lens in such a proper manner that the lens is mounted in normal direction when the required photographing magnification is less than the 1x magnification and that the lens is mounted in the opposite direction when the required photographing magnification is greater than the 1x magnification and therefore, it is the common practice to remove the lens with the lens mount from the body of the bellows device and again mount the lens on said body in the opposite direction. Where the operating lever is provided only on one of the left and right sides of the lens mount, this will cause that side on which the operating lever exists to be changed in place between left and right each time the lens is mounted with the lens mount in normal direction or in the opposite direction. Further, depending on the condition of the mounting, the direction in which the operating lever for stopping down the lens is operated is also changed. Therefore, the conventional stop-down device in the bellows device has been inconvenient in operability because of the above-described reason.